Holy Saturday

On Holy Saturday, after Christ was crucified, died and was buried, He "... descended into hell …"

Many ask why Christ would descend into hell and what was His purpose in doing so? Tradition holds that Christ went to a level of hell called limbo. This was a triumphant descent to the place where ALL of the righteous souls were being held until Jesus came to rescue them and open the gates of Heaven. The souls in this level of hell, which was not a place of eternal torment like the lower depths of hell occupied by satan and his demons, included the souls of Adam and Eve, Moses, Noah, Joseph, and millions of others who were patiently waiting for the Savior to take them to the Eternal Kingdom. It is said that because Adam and Eve had been in limbo the longest, Jesus went searching for their souls first.

Holy Saturday is a day of solemn waiting and prayer (like the Holy Souls who were patiently waiting in limbo), marking the day between Jesus' crucifixion and His resurrection. It is the final day of Lent and Holy Week and is a day for reflection on Jesus' death and burial, and the anticipation of His resurrection.